Exclusive Interview: Maximilian Osinski Chats The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Maximilian Osinski is a fresh face joining the cast of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Since his debut in Season 2, Maximilian has captivated audiences with his nuanced performance as Dennis Graham. He’s brought the many complex layers of his character to life and kept Walking Dead fans on the edge of their seats.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Maximilian about his career, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and how he approached developing Dennis.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Maximilian: My parents immigrated here from Poland in 1984. I was about two months old. I was born in a refugee camp in Austria and was raised in Chicago. They always had me practicing Polish in school to keep up with my Polish, as well as piano and Polish folk dancing. I remember always clowning around in Polish school.

As punishment, my teacher said, “Max, you really enjoy making jokes in class. For the end of the year presentation, I want you to memorize this poem by this Spanish-Polish poet and recite it in front of everyone.” So I had to do it. I remember I was memorizing it. My mom and dad explained what it was about. I remember once I got on stage, I was really into it. The audience went nuts. They asked me to do an encore. I remember that feeling of connecting with an audience and moving them. I was energized. That was my first taste of performing and acting. That’s when I got bit by the bug. It’s always stayed with me, but I didn’t really start exploring the craft until high school.

I started getting into dramas and plays. I fell in love with the process and the work. I was gobbling up all the Inside the Actors Studio episodes I could watch. My drama teacher became a mentor, and she helped me get into a drama program at Syracuse University for my BFA.

I remember that in high school and college I didn’t love the whole idea of being on stage and being like, “Look at me.” What I enjoyed more was working on a character and the craft behind it. For me, it was more about digging into what makes that character tick, why they behave a certain way, and what makes them think the way they do.

After Syracuse, I moved to New York and got representation. I started auditioning and booking work and indie movies. I got to do plays and started booking film and television. Then I took the plunge and moved to LA. I started working out there. I met my wife, who’s an actress. Now we have a daughter. We bounce around and travel to wherever the work takes us.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Maximilian: Personally, I would say my high school drama teacher Karen Hall. She really took notice of me and nurtured my curiosity and passion for the craft. She helped me believe in myself and guided me in applying to all these drama programs. She was the first big influence. I had a few professors in college as well that really inspired me. They’re hard on you, and they really push you. I can still hear their voices when I’m working on a role.

Professionally, like I was saying earlier, I watched all the Inside the Actors Studio episodes. I would write down and watch all the movies that they mentioned. I would go to Blockbuster—remember those? [laughs] I would try to find a copy of every movie that they talked about and watch it. Gene Hackman, Sidney Poitier, and Marlon Brando were big inspirations. When I saw Robert De Niro in Raging Bull, his performance and that movie blew my mind. I would just gobble up all these classic films.

When I was studying at Syracuse, I’d make trips to New York City. The Lincoln Center library has an archive where you can watch all the Broadway shows that you heard about from the ’70s and ’80s that are closed now. I’d watch and study those.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Maximilian: Yeah. It would be the first movie that I booked: The Express by Universal Studios. That’s where I got my union card. I remember I started auditioning with this really great manager in New York. I was so fortunate that she took notice of me.

I remember that first booking of mine. It got me my SAG card. It was a studio film about the first African American Heisman Trophy winner: Ernie Davis. That was a big ice break and a moment when I said, “I can do this. I can be in a movie.” I got to work opposite Dennis Quaid and Clancy (who is also a Chicago actor). There are times when you can view acting and getting into this business as impossible. How do you break into it? That was the first job that made me say, “Holy cow, maybe this can work. Maybe I can do what I’ve always wanted to do.”

That was definitely a big moment in my career, professionally speaking. I look back at that moment and it means a lot. It was a supporting role—I was on set for ten weeks—but it was a good role. I played a real-life person. I went off and met him. I talked to him about his story. It wasn’t a lead role or anything, but I learned from watching the other actors and from doing my own scenes. It was a perfect learning experience that got me exposed to working in the business.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, you and your wife are both in the industry. If your daughter wanted to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give her?
Maximilian: I would tell her, “Don’t do it.” [laughs] If she still wanted to do it, then I would support her because you have to want this bad enough and know that you can’t take it personally because there’s a lot of rejection. It’s not personal, but at the same time it is because it’s you that you’re presenting. You’re the product. But you have to learn not to take it personally as well. So I would not sugarcoat anything. But if she still wanted to do it, I would support her.

My mom always wanted me to be a lawyer. My dad was more open to the arts. Coming from an immigrant family, he loves the arts. My mom did as well. But I feel like parents who immigrate to the States looking for the American Dream want their kids to have something more stable and reliable. That was natural for them to be a little worried, but they never hindered me or looked down on my choice. I would probably approach it the same with my daughter. I would start with, “No, I don’t recommend it.” If she still wanted to do it, I’d be like, “All right. She really wants to do it.” But I hope she can do something else—maybe she can save the world. She’s only six, so we’ll see where her curiosity takes her.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond

PC: You just joined the cast of The Walking Dead: World Beyond and this is a full-circle moment for you. What has it meant to you to be part of this franchise? Were there any nerves heading into it?
Maximilian: It’s been a bit crazy for me. It fell into my lap. Everyone knows The Walking Dead. The mothership has been around for twelve years, if not longer. I remember when it first came out, it was a huge hit. Everyone was talking about it. It became this huge franchise. Funnily enough, I never had a chance to audition for any of the other shows. This was the first time I auditioned for the franchise, and I happened to get it.

It was exciting. I knew the fans were terrific, very loyal, and passionate about the genre. I was really drawn to this character when I got the sides. I thought it was a really complex role that wasn’t one-layered or one-note.

The cast was so welcoming and friendly. This is the final season. We shot it under the pandemic guidelines. The first time that I met everyone was on Zoom for a table read after the audition and callbacks. I didn’t really get to meet the cast in person because of all the protocols and the testing.

They call acting and show business this big circus. It doesn’t feel like that anymore. Sometimes it’s a bit more isolating now. But it was still very welcoming. Our showrunner Matt Negrete is terrific. He’s a great collaborator and was always available to discuss the role and answer any questions I had or to give feedback. He would review all the dailies while we were filming and would write emails or give us a call. If I had a question, he would address that.

Sometimes it can be hard to jump into an established show, but everyone was so welcoming. When you’re an actor coming in, you’re trying to feel the room, like, “What’s the vibe?” But that didn’t happen on this show. Everyone was so welcoming, positive, and excited and that made me feel the same.

PC: What was that process like bringing this character to life during the pandemic?
Maximilian: It actually helped because Dennis is very isolated when we meet him. He’s this ex-golden boy of the CRM who’s trying to pick up the pieces of his life. We find him working with a small group of kids, but he’s still isolated from the rest of the community and the military life that he knew and excelled at. He’s isolated from Jennifer, his wife. During filming, we mainly stayed at the hotel. I’d go to the gym and didn’t really eat out. It helped me get into character.

I tried to break Dennis down into three parts. There was the military side of Dennis that we see when he’s at the facility working with the kids, training them, and dealing with Silas. Then there’s the relationship with Jennifer. He’s really loving, and he wants it to work. The third part of him is the isolated way he deals with his own demons and baggage, which he hints at to Silas when he points to the liquor bottle and says, “Do me a favor. Take that with you so you can start staring at it.” This alludes to the reason why he is where he’s at when we meet him in the show.

I hope all those layers come across to the viewers.

PC: With so many different layers, which was the most challenging to bring to life?
Maximilian: Coming to terms with the demons that he’s facing was a bit more work. I had to do a lot of research and study how people deal with addiction and depression. How do they function and maintain a level of sobriety or sturdiness through discipline? I knew that Dennis, being a military guy, had that discipline. His kids gave him meaning and a sense of purpose, which was probably lost when he was demoted.

Not knowing what happened to his wife becomes a good anchor for him to keep going. I asked myself, “Why didn’t he fall to the side and become a shell of himself?” With a character like Dennis, it’s about trying to figure out what a person does or how they function while dealing with issues of their past. You’ll see that throughout the rest of the season.

We’re going to see Dennis dealing with the decisions he’s made in the past and how those consequences affect him moving forward as he realizes that the world isn’t as black and white as he may have thought. I feel like a lot of the characters are struggling with that.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Maximilian: Succession. It’s so good.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Maximilian: Whenever I see Braveheart on TV, I can’t turn it off. It’s one of those movies that once it’s on and you start watching it, you always end up finishing it somehow.

PC: Favorite book?
Maximilian: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s an amazing book. He talks about the history of humans and why we became the dominant species all over the world. It’s a must-read to get this macro perspective on humans and society and why we were able to structure ourselves the way that we did compare to other animals that also have intelligence, like apes and dolphins. What are the things that separate human beings from animals?

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Maximilian: There are so many incredible musicals. I love Pippin by Bob Fosse. It seems very lighthearted, but it’s very dark. The choreography and music are amazing.

As far as plays, I love anything by Arthur Miller. All My Sons is a play that I’ve always wanted to do.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Maximilian: That’s a good question. I’m pretty eclectic in my music. I listen to anything that I’m in the mood for—from Johnny Cash to Lana Del Rey to Bruce Springsteen to Drake. I love Mozart. I played classical piano for twelve years. I love listening to Mozart. Mozart’s “Requiem” is one of my favorite pieces. It’s a little morbid, but it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.

PC: Dream role?
Maximilian: I’d love to be in a Western or a war film. That’s one of the goals that I’m trying to manifest.

To keep up with Maximilian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch The Walking Dead: World Beyond every Sunday at 10/9c on AMC.

Photo Credit: Amanda Peixoto-Elkins